Estel
by fangirlMasquerade
Summary: Aragorn has had many names through his life. He was raised as Estel in Rivendell, lived as Strider in The Wild, fought in the War of the Ring as Aragorn, and now rules as Elessar in Minas Tirith. His people call him Elessar, his friends call him Aragorn, but Estel is what his family calls him. Drabble


Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings or it's characters; They belong to their rightful owner J.R.R. Tolkien. We just borrow them to play. *winks*

A/N: I decided to write this up for no real reason. It's just a scene between the two friends which I couldn't help but think it could have occurred and the idea was nagging me to write it so here it is. Also, as for when Aragorn's first child/son was to be born, I looked it up and couldn't find a birth date so the timing of Arwen's pregnancy after Aragorn becomes king is purely for the story, I don't know or believe it to be fact. :) I just thought it added a nice scene and built the story up, as short as it is. (I need to learn how to make a drabble an actual drabble and not add so much story building. *headdesk*)

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 **Estel**

A crisp spring morning's breeze greeted Aragorn from his balcony of his chambers in Minas Tirith, while he stared out over the city and the Pelennor Fields, where just a few short years ago a battle raged for the city. Looking at it now, no one would have guessed the carnage that had taken place, and the many lives on both sides that had been lost.

Lost in thought as he was, Aragorn did not notice the presence of his wife and queen until she'd wrapped her arms around him from behind, and the swell of her gravid stomach pressed against him. He was immediately drawn to the present, and a smile broke out across his face as he turned to greet Arwen in an embrace.

"You should go rest. It is far too early to be up, especially in your condition." He said gently, pressing a hand to the side of her swollen stomach.

Arwen smiled and placed her hand atop his. "And what condition warrants I should still be asleep?" She asked, a tone of teasing lingering in her words.

Aragorn may have been king for a few years now, but the healer in him never faded once. And since the news of their child's conception, he'd once more became a healer to tend to his pregnant wife through the months. Arwen enjoyed teasing him over that, when Aragorn was supposed to be a king and husband and soon to be father. He no longer needed to be a healer.

Smiling at her, he shook his head ruefully. "Preparing to bring our first child into Arda. You will need all the rest you can get." The man said, bringing her into a gentle kiss before he looked at her. He knew as it became close to time, Arwen had not been resting as much as she would need.

He failed to mention or even think about the fact he himself only knew this due to his own lack of sleep, anxious as he was for the birth of his first child.

Sighing softy, she rested her forehead on Aragorn's shoulder with a nod. She would not admit it, but she was indeed tired this morning. "Will you come back to bed with me if I go?" She questioned in Sindarin. She knew the answer before he even spoke, though. As king, he had duties he now had to attend to, and sleeping in with her was not an option as of late. She never once thought to be upset at this, either.

"I wish I could." He replied her in Sindarin. He ran his fingers through her long velvet hair before pulling back. "I have used up what little time I have this morning already. But I will see you in an hour for breakfast."

Nodding her understanding, Arwen placed a feather light kiss to his lips and squeezed Aragorn's hand that had yet to move from the swell of her stomach. "I understand, Estel. Do not feel guilty, my love. Just do not be late for breakfast this morning as you were yesterday." She mused, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

Aragorn looked horrified at the prospect. "Never again will I be late for breakfast or any meal with you." He said, shaking his head quickly.

Just the previous morning, Aragorn had gotten swept up in his work and had been nearly an hour late to breakfast. When Arwen requested a servant to find the missing king and bring him to the dining hall for breakfast, Aragorn immediately mistook the request and rushed to the dining hall, all but running down anyone in his path.

He had clearly thought she had went into labor, and by the time he had reached the dining hall, there was a trail of poor hapless servants left frightened and confused at the king's rush and shouts as if war had broken out.

The very memory made Arwen laugh and she kissed her husband's cheek then turned and walked back into their bedroom where she would try and gain some more rest. Aragorn did not find it so funny, but he smiled nonetheless and followed behind her, before he left their chambers and Arwen to rest while he started his long grueling day of work.

Sometimes he wished he was back fighting orcs or out in the Wild trying to survive some misadventure he had gotten himself in rather than sitting in his study doing paperwork like some king. He always had to remind himself that he was indeed a king and no longer a ranger. It never really brought solace to him when neck deep in paperwork, though.

 **xoxo**

As promised, Aragorn had not missed breakfast, and he had just returned to his study to continue his work before a long meeting he would need to attend with his friend and Steward Faramir later in the day over things concerning the kingdom. More kingly work, he thought wryly as he stepped into his personal study.

To his great surprise, he stepped into the room and was greeted by the most welcoming sight of a blonde elven prince, and one of his best friends. "Legolas!" He breathed, taken aback to see the elven prince here. He had not received any word of the elf's arrival in Minas Tirith.

"You seem quite surprised, Elessar. Did you think I would miss the birth of your child? Or am I simply not invited to it?" He smiled that infuriating smile of his, and it brought Aragorn so much joy he could barely contain it.

Rushing forward, the king of Gondor pulled the Wood-elf into his arms in an embrace. "You are always welcome here, mellon nin." He said, kissing the elf's temple and eliciting a musical laugh from the prince of the Woodland Realm.

Legolas wrapped his arms around the man and nodded. "It is great seeing you, Elessar. It seems we have both been quite busy, you here in Gondor and I in Ithilien. I wish I could have found time to come sooner, mellon nin. But I will not be missing the birth of your child, so here I am to do what I can for both you and Arwen. Just tell me what I can do for my friends during this time."

It felt like to Aragorn a weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he pulled back, smiling broadly at his long time friend. "Just being here will help us get through this. She will be most happy to see you." His eyes both conveyed happiness and a touch of sadness, which made the elven prince frown just a tad.

Before he could ask, Aragorn shook his head and motioned for Legolas to follow him out of the study. Nodding for him to lead the way, Legolas followed Aragorn out of the large study as the two began walking down the hallways. Neither spoke, for just being in each other's presence the two friends felt a blanket of ease wrap around them and words were not needed right away.

When they were outside in the fresh air, Aragorn stopped at the White Tree of Gondor and stared up at the beautiful tree, full in bloom. Even if he was not an elf, he appreciated it's beauty and bore it's symbol proudly. Legolas stood silent beside him for long moments until his natural curiosity got the better of him, as it often did. "Mellon nin, is something the matter?"

The king shook his head wearily and looked to Legolas. "No, not in so many words. Arwen is healthy, I assure you of that, as am I. And things are well here. But with the upcoming birth of our first child, there is a hint of sadness when I look at her. She misses our family since our father and brothers sailed West, and as much as I wish they could be here for this, I know she wishes it more."

Legolas fully understood the weight of this news and he placed his hand on Aragorn's shoulder in understanding. "I know, Elessar. It is hard even for me, being parted the way I am from my father. He was always there within Mirkwood for me to return to, and now that he has sailed to West, even though I am not to become a father, I dearly miss him and wish to see him again."

Legolas knew that Aragorn's only family now was Arwen and their unborn child, his father and brothers having sailed to Valinor. He knew well the loneliness that cannot be shaken, even in times of peace and happiness as these.

Aragorn was frowning now as he stared at Legolas, and the blonde elf frowned back. "I am sorry, mellon nin, I did not mean to upset you further."

"No, it is not that, it's just..." Aragorn said, waving his hand while he tried to figure out how to word what he realized had upset him more than what they had just been speaking about. "When did you stop calling me Estel, or even Aragorn, and begin calling me Elessar?" He asked.

The question surprised Legolas, and not many things could actually surprise the elf anymore. He blinked, his blue-grey eyes showing slight confusion. "Since your coronation, of course. Why?" He inclined his head just a bit, and his golden hair seemed to shimmer in the morning sunlight with the movement, as the sun rose higher above them.

"I just now realized how you do not call me Estel or even Aragorn anymore." It was surprising how that little bit of knowledge actually proved to upset the man.

Offering a smile and squeezing Aragorn's shoulder, Legolas nodded. "If you wish, I can go back to calling you Aragorn. Gimli certainly has no problem in doing so. I would not like to know a dwarf eases your heart more than I by what he calls you." He grinned and Aragorn couldn't help but laugh.

Shaking his head though, Aragorn turned and gripped Legolas' shoulder in return. "No, mellon nin. You are more than a friend. You are my family, my brother as much as Elladan and Elrohir are. Please, I wish for you to call me Estel, as you once did."

Smiling gently, the elf nodded his head just a bit. "And you are indeed a part of my own family, Estel. Even if my father may say otherwise." He chuckled quietly, and smiled more when Aragorn just laughed again. His earlier upset seemed to have disappeared on the breeze, and it made the Wood-elf happy to sense that.

The elf then smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "I cannot wait to tell Gimli of what you have just told me." There was a hint of mischievousness in his blue-grey eyes at being able to rile the dwarf up.

Aragorn's laugh was a full and hearty one at that. He knew Gimli would be arriving soon, already having received word from the dwarf that he would be here before Arwen gave birth so he could greet the child when it was born. "As humorous as that could prove to be, I have told him he could call me Estel, but he simply said it was too Elvish sounding for his tastes and preferred to simply keep calling me Aragorn. A far more manly name, as he so kindly put it, I believe."

Both Aragorn and Legolas laughed this time.

 **xoxo**

For some reason, Aragorn's earlier concerns and mild heartache over his family not being there for the birth of his first child had eased away. The sound of Legolas' voice once more calling him Estel, the name he had grown up with in the house of lord Elrond among his family, was something he cherished more than he thought he ever would cherish a name, when he had grown so used to having so many.

With Legolas' presence, and then that of Gimli, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, with the presence of Eomer, Faramir, and Eowyn, and many others had lifted the hearts of Gondor's king and queen. The days had grown full of love and joy after Legolas arrived, and after the arrival of everyone else they cared so deeply for.

They were surrounded by family when their son Eldarion was born.

 _ **Fin**_

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A/N: Sometimes I guess I need to write these kinds of scenes. Now I need to go read some angst and action/adventure to balance out this fluffy sweetness. lmao Thanks for reading! Please leave a review so that I can hear your thoughts on it. :) I know it's too mushy for my tastes, so I don't blame you if you feel the same. XD


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